Closer Look

After years of red ink, Canada Post insists it has a plan to finally deliver a major turnaround.

Last week, the federal government paved the way for Canada Post to adopt a list of controversial cost-cutting measures, including ending home-to-home delivery and shuttering some rural post offices.

Unionized postal workers responded to the news with another country-wide strike — the second labour disruption in less than a year. A week later, they remain off the job.

In an open letter released yesterday, Doug Ettinger, the president and CEO of Canada Post, said “our goal is to provide an affordable, reliable and sustainable service to every Canadian — one that lifts our national pride by strengthening our connections to each other.”

“While our labour situation is extremely challenging, we also remain committed to reaching new agreements at the bargaining table,” the letter continued. “It’s vital these agreements reflect our financial reality and support the changes we need to make — while helping us stand on our own, without taxpayer funding.”

Joining us on tonight’s episode of Closer Look is Jim Gallant, a negotiator with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW).

He has plenty to say about the CEO’s letter, the federal government’s announcement — and why he believes the corporation’s latest decisions will only “further drive Canada Post customers into the arms of its competitors.”

Hosted by Village Media’s Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show’s dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is [email protected].

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Crime is out of control at stores across the country.

A new report released by the Retail Council of Canada says the problem “has escalated into a national crisis, impacting profitability, employee safety, and consumer trust.”

The report found that the level of shrink — loss of inventory due to theft and other reasons — has nearly doubled over the past five years to $9 billion.

More than one-quarter of retailers (76.2 per cent) are reporting increased levels of violence during theft incidents, and repeat offenders account for nearly 18 per cent of arrests.

The report also exposes the “rapid evolution of organized retail crime, its financial strain on retailers, and critical gaps in law enforcement response.”

Our guest on tonight’s Closer Look is Rui Rodrigues, an executive advisor at the Retail Council of Canada.

Hosted by Village Media’s Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show’s dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is [email protected].

Reach out to Frisco and Scott

A grieving family from Burlington, Ont. is trying to turn their immeasurable loss into a force for change.

Finlay van der Werken was 16 years old when his mother, Hazel, rushed him to Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital on Feb. 7, 2024. The teen was in such severe pain on his right side that his mom left the car in front of the emergency department and took him straight in.

What happened next was a “complete state of terror,” his mother said.

While waiting more than eight agonizing hours to be treated at the hospital, Finlay suffered cardiac arrest and was eventually diagnosed with pneumonia, sepsis and hypoxia. Transferred to SickKids in Toronto, he was placed on life support.

“It just didn’t feel real,” Hazel said, during an interview with Village Media’s Closer Look podcast. “It was a living nightmare, just the shock, the disbelief. I don't know that I can put it into words.”

Finlay’s family is now laser-focused on making sure others don’t endure the same heartbreak.

Along with demanding a coroner’s inquest, they are calling on the Ford government to introduce legislation — “Finlay’s Law” — that would establish maximum emergency room wait times for children.

They have also launched a lawsuit against Halton Healthcare Services, which operates the Oakville hospital, alleging the facility had an “inadequate system” in place to ensure patients like Finlay were seen in an appropriate amount of time. (In a statement of defence, the hospital operator denies any wrongdoing and says staff provided “reasonable” care that night.)

“We have the possibility to ensure that another family does not have to go through this,” Hazel told the podcast. “That will give us a little bit of a feeling of comfort — that we've done something, and that we used our voices for something good to come out of something that is so tragic.”

Hosted by Village Media’s Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show’s dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is [email protected].

Reach out to Frisco and Scott

Doug Ford is making good on his promise to ban speed cameras, calling the devices nothing but a “cash grab” by Ontario municipalities.

Premier Ford said when the house returns in October, his Progressive Conservatives will introduce legislation that prevents cities and towns from operating automated speed enforcement (ASE) cameras.

In their place, the government is promising to create a new fund for other traffic-calming measures such as speed bumps, roundabouts, raised crosswalks, curb extensions and signage. 

Ford’s announcement flies in the face of advice provided by numerous expert organizations, including SickKids Hospital, the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Ontario Traffic Council.

Research shows that automated cameras are not only effective at reducing speeds, they are actually widely supported by the general public. Many municipalities also reject the argument that the cameras are a “cash grab,” saying the bulk of revenue gets reinvested in road safety measures.

Joining us on tonight’s Closer Look podcast is a panel of guests with plenty to say about Ford’s speed camera plan: Pamela Fuselli, president and CEO of the injury prevention charity Parachute; Michael Stewart of the Canadian Automobile Association; and Jack Hauen, a reporter at Village Media’s The Trillium.

Hosted by Village Media’s Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show’s dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is [email protected].

Reach out to Frisco and Scott

It’s known as "Hope's Cradle": a place for desperate mothers and caregivers to safely — and anonymously — drop off babies they cannot raise. The idea was triggered by the high-profile death of an Alberta newborn discovered in a dumpster on Christmas Eve 2017.

Canada's first drop-off site, a temperature-controlled bassinet box, was installed at a fire station in Strathmore. The concept has since spread to Manitoba and Clarington, Ont., and this week, city councillors in Sault Ste. Marie contemplated whether to bring the idea to their community.

Hosted by Village Media’s Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show’s dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is [email protected].

Reach out to Frisco and Scott

It’s easy to feel like wild dogs have taken over the neighbourhood.

Communities across the province are struggling to deal with problem coyotes that are venturing scarily close to people and pets.

In Orillia last week, two cats were attacked in different neighbourhoods. One did not survive.

On tonight’s episode of Closer Look, we revisit a previous interview with Lesley Sampson, co-founder of the not-for-profit organization Coyote Watch Canada.

She offers practical tips on how to stay safe if you spot a coyote, but also some important perspective on why the animals might be approaching us.

Hosted by Village Media’s Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show’s dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is [email protected].

Reach out to Frisco and Scott

“Doctor” Trump is at it again.

This week, the U.S. president warned pregnant women to limit their use of acetaminophen — the active ingredient in Tylenol — because of unsubstantiated links to autism. 

“Fight like hell not to take it,” was the president’s message.

Experts around the world were quick to counter Trump’s medical advice, insisting there is no evidence linking autism in children to the use of Tylenol by pregnant women.

Health Canada issued a public advisory reiterating that the over-the-counter drug has “been used safely by millions of Canadians for decades, including during pregnancy and while breastfeeding,” while the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) called the autism link “weak” and “consistently refuted by scientific and regulatory bodies.”

“In an age of growing misinformation and disinformation, the SOGC strongly urges all Canadians to ensure decisions about their health care is guided by evidence-based science and clinical expertise,” the society said.

Joining us on Closer Look tonight to discuss Trump's comments is Dr. Darine El-Chaâr, a maternal fetal medicine physician at The Ottawa Hospital and an associate professor at the University of Ottawa.

Hosted by Village Media’s Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show’s dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is [email protected].

Reach out to Frisco and Scott

Catch and release? Chris Scott now knows the process firsthand. 

The rookie MPP for Sault Ste. Marie was arrested Sunday night for alleged spousal abuse and released on bail the following day. 

He is charged with one count of assault and one count of assault with a weapon — the weapon being “a high chair,” according to court documents. (None of the allegations have been tested in court and Scott is presumed innocent until proven guilty).

The 35-year-old was promptly booted from Doug Ford’s PC caucus and is now an Independent MPP (at least for the time being). Although the NDP is demanding his resignation, Scott has yet to answer questions about the criminal case or his future as a politician.

Should he step down? Can fellow MPPs force him to resign? And what do we know about Chris Scott, a one-time senior Ford staffer handpicked by the Premier to run in February’s provincial election?

Joining us on tonight’s Closer Look are two Village Media journalists who covered the breaking story: Jessica Smith Cross, editor-in-chief at The Trillium, and Kenneth Armstrong, a reporter at SooToday.

You can watch the full episode in the above YouTube video. 

Earlier this year, Scott sat down with SooToday for a one-on-one interview during the provincial election race.

Hosted by Village Media’s Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show’s dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is [email protected].

Reach out to Frisco and Scott

A big battle is brewing between the Ford government and some independent grocery store owners over who should be responsible for collecting people’s empty booze bottles.

By Jan. 1, 2026, all grocery stores licensed to sell beer and wine in Ontario must accept bottle returns as part of Premier Doug Ford’s vision of speeding up the availability of alcohol.

But a growing number of independent grocers are deciding to ditch booze sales altogether rather than deal with the mess and hassle of accepting people’s empties. They say they don’t have the space or resources to accept large amounts of empty bottles, and that the unsanitary containers don’t belong anywhere near food items people buy.

Joining us to talk about the issue on tonight’s Closer Look podcast is Gary Sands, vice-president of government relations at the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers.

Bottles aside, we also explore some other pressing topics, including U.S. tariffs, inter-provincial trade, and what you really need to know in order to “Buy Canadian.”

Hosted by Village Media’s Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show’s dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is [email protected].

Reach out to Frisco and Scott

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he has faith that Prime Minister Mark Carney will back his dream of a massive tunnel underneath Highway 401.

Carney recently revealed the first five projects in the national interest that will be fast-tracked, which is intended to strengthen the country's economy in the face of U.S. tariffs.

Ford’s highway tunnel was not on the initial list, but he told reporters this week he’s confident the PM will eventually get on board.

"I just believe he will," Ford said. "Considering it's the busiest highway in North America, and 50 per cent of the GDP comes through Toronto, and [gridlock is] costing us $58 billion of lost productivity, I think it's pretty national."

Village Media's new Closer Look podcast dug a little deeper into Ford’s tunnel vision during a recent episode with guests Jessica Smith Cross, editor-in-chief of The Trillium, and Professor Matti Siemiatycki, director of the Infrastructure Institute at the University of Toronto.

“I think we can start from the basic premise that this is likely build-able, that you likely could build a tunnel of this length in this location,” Siemiatycki told the podcast. “The question isn't just: ‘Can we build it?’ The question is: ‘Should we? Does this actually solve the congestion problem? How much does it cost? And are there better alternatives that we could address this issue at a lower cost?”

You can watch the full episode HERE.

Hosted by Village Media’s Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show’s dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is [email protected].

Reach out to Frisco and Scott